Crossroads
by Kurohane Ookami
Summary: It was one stupid bet that resulted in him working for his brother- as an 'exotic dancer' no less. It was one bet that made him turn his life around. And it was one bet that made him fall in love with Dean Winchester. M for language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

The music pounded heavily against walls of the room. The ears of those listening, surprisingly enough, weren't being murdered in the least; the voices were actually quite soothing despite the deep growl of the bass.

Creamy honeyed skin, flecked with freckles, slowly moved along to the rhythm, almost idly, while a pair of startling green eyes narrowed in concentration. Blond hair stuck out in all directions, and as one leg moved out, the grey sweatpants that hung low on a well-toned torso folded and creased.

"Alright Dean, that's enough! Take five!" a gruff British voice yelled over the music, gesturing up to the random staff member sitting by the stereo to cut the music. Shrugging, the male did as he was told, and silence fell over the large space.

"You sure, Crowley? Wouldn't want Michael hearing you say that." The blond male teased lightly, immediately sitting himself down on the edge of the stage as the music paused and shaking sweat out of his eyes. Silently, he held out a hand, and his water bottle was handed to him. "Speaking of, is he coming on stage with Balthazar and I tonight or no?"

"Tomorrow, he says." The British man huffed. "He's got a last minute class he managed to forget about."

"Ah." The younger male nodded. "Sounds like Michael. And Bela's on tonight too, then."

It wasn't necessarily a question, but Crowley hummed an agreement anyway.

"Yep. The usual routine."

Dean chewed on his bottom lip as he stored the information away, but brightened as a familiar mane of chestnut popped out from behind the bar. Nothing quite like a sibling to distract the male whenever he and Crowley were having conversations.

"Sammy!" he called, leaning back onto his palms and grinning.

Sam, as per usual, ignored him. Perhaps not the easiest feat in the world if you were anyone else, but with him it was as easy as breathing. Instead, the younger Winchester continued rummaging around, making sure that there would be enough of everything and that he wouldn't have to go back to the storage room and grab anything later.

"Busy old woman." Dean muttered affectionately, taking another gulp of his water before hopping back to his feet. "Alright, enough playtime. Time to get this over with. Ellen wants some help cleaning the pub."

**-:-**

He was muttering to himself again. Mind, it was because he was doing math for the bills, but nonetheless, he was talking to himself. Balthazar always teased him about it, but to be honest, he could care less what Balthazar thought. He was an idiot anyway.

Leaning back, the strawberry blond male ran a hand through his hair, brown eyes half-lidded as he quickly reviewed the calculations that he'd done.

Usually it would be Bobby taking care of all of these things, but given that said male was retiring in the early spring of the coming year, he was the one he felt most confident taking over for him.

Still didn't mean that he had to like it.

Grumbling, he opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of sour keys and plucked one of the candies out of the bag, admiring the thick sugar coating only for a moment before he stuck it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he straightened himself up, sliding the candy over to one side and waiting for the anticipated knock.

Six seconds later, the familiar two tap knock was at the door. A small smile tugged at his lips; his little brother was ever so predictable.

"Come in, Cas." He said, just loud enough to be heard through the door.

The door opened with a slight click, and the smaller male entered, dark haired head ducked down and looking like a beaten puppy. His thin form was dressed in dark jeans and a dress shirt, and a jacket was pulled on over everything.

"Please, sit." Gabriel commented, not even bothering to look at him as he shifted a pile of papers over to one side ever so slightly so that he could rest his elbows on the desk.

Castiel did so, and it was then that he lifted his head, meeting Gabriel's gaze with a steady one of his own.

"Good morning, Gabriel."

Ooh. Monotone. Such childish means of communication when all he'd done was bet he couldn't find anything to hold against him. Not that there necessarily _wasn't_…just not enough to make a point.

"Castiel." He inclined his head. Obviously, Cas hadn't been expecting the full name treatment, considering that he flinched slightly at hearing him say it. Then again, Gabriel mused, he'd been calling his little brother Cas for about as long as he could remember.

"Well. Better not waste any time then. Let's get down to business." The blond clapped his hands before pulling open another drawer and grabbing the papers needed, placing them on the desk so that they were facing Castiel.

"Since you're going to be here for a while, I'm outlining your basics. Right next door is the Roadhouse. It's managed by Ellen, my partner, who owns that half of the business. Though I'm sure you've guessed that by now. There's an entire wing of rooms available for free to the dancers who work here. That offer now extends to you." Gabriel started, trailing his finger along the specifics regarding that arrangement. "As well as that, you'll be given you own storage locker backstage for all of your costumes and the like, as well as a key for the back door. That's the entrance that almost everyone who works here uses."

Castiel nodded silently. It was pretty clear that some of this just wasn't sticking to that little clockwork mind of his, Gabriel noted, but he would come back to that later. At the moment he was on a roll.

"And, since you're brand new to the business, you get partnered up with one of our senior dancers and go to rehearsals and training sessions with them. That includes all of their gym sessions, most of the specific work-outs designed for them, and eventually performances onstage. So, just sign here and we're good to go."

Cas took the offered pen and signed in his thin writing before Gabriel smoothly slid the paper out of the way, eyes going over it quickly before he nodded once in confirmation.

"Welcome to Crossroads, little brother. If you'll follow me, I believe your new partner is running rehearsal." He commented vaguely, pulling open the drawer with all the employee's information and filing it neatly before closing it again.

Snatching his package of sour keys from the desk, the blond male slid out from behind the desk and moved over to the door that led down into the main floor of the club. Opening it, he double checked that Cas was still close behind before stepping out onto the stairs and leaning over the rail to watch Dean as he finished up his current routine.

Castiel paused next to him, unsure of why his elder brother had stopped, but followed his line of vision to the stage, where a single dancer was currently moving slowly to something that sounded vaguely African.

His skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but he didn't seem to care as he stepped to one side. A thin frame was only just covered with a grey wife-beater, while a pair of grey sweatpants hung low on well-formed hips. Blond hair stuck up in every direction, and even as he watched, Castiel noted how it seemed to fluff out even more.

Then the male paused, and a British voice started to speak.

"Not bad. For the improvisation, I would suggest demonstrating your flexibility with a couple of flips, but other than that you've picked the whole routine up fairly well."

"You know I try, Crowley." The male smirked, sauntering over to the edge of the stage and dropping down to sit. "I think we could do it tomorrow, providing Michael actually shows up."

The other man- Crowley- a lean, muscled man who looked to be in his early forties, snorted, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, he'll show up alright. I don't care if I personally have to drag him here by the balls, either."

"Always good to know you've got my back there, Crowley." The blond chuckled, shaking his head. "But I wouldn't drag him here by the balls. God knows he might actually need them someday. Not to mention that his voice is just fine as is. I don't think the ladies would appreciate you taking all of that away from them."

Before Crowley could reply, Gabriel sucked in a breath and leaned further over the railing.

"Oh _Deaaaaaan!"_

The blond- Dean- looked up immediately, a brow already quirked as he appraised the pair.

"What?" he called back, relaxing into a comfortable position and huffing. "If this is about the water bottle thing with Sammy, I swear it wasn't me this time! I blame Michael!"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Dean, if this was about the Holy Water, you'd have known about it by now!" he retorted. "Besides, it was me, if you're really all that concerned about it, so just let it be!"

"Then what do you want?" Dean yelled back in exasperation.

"Say hello to your new partner!" Gabriel grinned broadly, gesturing to the extremely uncomfortable male next to him. "Castiel, wave back now. It's not polite to just say nothing, you know!"

"Hello." Castiel reluctantly replied, half-heartedly raising his forearm in a small wave.

Dean looked him over before raising a brow at the strawberry blond male. There didn't appear to be any need to verbalize what he was thinking- Gabriel knew his long-time friend well enough to guess what he was thinking at the moment.

"You're teaching him everything you know, Dean! And go easy on him- my little brother's not as tough as I am!" he called back with a cheery smile he knew would no doubt earn him a special type of complaint later.

With that said, Gabriel walked back into his office and closed the door heavily. A moment later, Castiel heard the locks click, effectively throwing him to the wolves. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he felt two pairs of eyes on him, and he swallowed heavily.

He definitely regretted ever betting against Ellen Harvelle in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean couldn't believe it. How could Gabriel have so many damn siblings? This one, by the looks of things, was going to be a tough one, as he looked up to the small platform that led to the stairs. Although he was slim, he barely had any muscle on him, and despite the fact that he was attractive, he was _definitely_ shy. At least the very _least_ he was uncomfortable with the position that his elder brother had pushed him into, judging by those hunched shoulders.

Crowley was still standing off to one side, looking immensely amused about the whole thing, and as Dean shot him a look that clearly plead for some kind of help, it turned out to be Sam who came to the rescue. Luckily, he'd arrived right after Gabriel's comment on being the one to have spiked his water bottle, so he was blissfully unaware of the events going on in that category.

"Hey, new guy. Come hang out with me while that moron finishes his rehearsal. I promise I'm the normal one." Sam called up, a bottle of whiskey in his hand and a couple of glasses in the other.

Castiel nodded warily, slowly making his way down the stairs, and Dean analytically watched each step with a well-trained eye. It wasn't the first time that he'd had to mentor a new dancer-certainly wasn't going to be the last, either- and years of experience were kicking in.

He was graceful, even if he was hesitant, and his feet were nearly silent on the usually loud metal stairs. With practice, he'd probably be better than Bela, the self-confident bitch that she was.

Crowley seemed to have noticed the same thing, because the older male tilted his head to one side ever so slightly before turning back to Dean.

"Well, you heard the man. Let's finish up here so you can go and take care of your new _student_."

"If you insist." He returned with a mocking bow, lips quirking at Crowley's use of the term student.

Said man turned, gesturing over to the staff manning the stereo, and the music started up again, switching tracks and the next song playing faster. Dean resumed his routine flawlessly, slipping into the new beat as though it were a second nature to him.

Over at the bar, Sam hummed along to the tune, even as he poured himself and the new guy- Castiel, if he'd hear correctly- a drink. He was similarly eying him up, as the other two men had done, wondering how he'd do with a little practice and training under his belt.

"So. How'd you manage to get dragged into this?" Sam finally asked over the music, lifting a brow. "I doubt you waltzed into Gabe's office looking for a job like some of the other people we see come through here from time to time."

"You're not wrong." Castiel muttered, taking the glass with a small 'thanks' in return.

Sam chuckled, though it wasn't mocking. "Yeah, it happens around here. Trust me."

Castiel downed the whisky quickly, gently placing the glass back down on the counter before a wry smirk twisted his lips.

"I thought I knew my brother. Apparently, I was wrong." The dark haired male finally said softly. "That's all there is to it."

"Well, if you think you've got it so bad, you should come hang out with _my_ family. Dean's my brother." Sam snorted, pointing with the same hand he held his drink in.

"Really." Castiel raised a brow.

"Yep. Gabe took us in about ten years ago. Offered us jobs and a place to stay- haven't looked back since."

Huh. That was something else new to add to the list of many things that he didn't know about his brother. Ten years? Castiel had just finished school about then, and Gabriel couldn't have been much older than he was now.

Castiel would have continued to muse on that, but there was a call from Dean, and he reluctantly turned. Sam coughed into his drink at the forlorn look on Castiel's face, but the dark haired male paid no mind to him. No, he was engulfed by his own thoughts on the matter, and they all revolved around one thing.

He was regretting this decision immensely.

**-:-**

"Ellen, we're home!" Dean called, entering the main floor of the Roadhouse.

The blond calmly whistled a tune to himself as he moved over to one of the doors against the wall, and he knocked, Castiel took in the layout of the pub and lodge. To the right, a doorway led into a well-furnished room he assumed was the bar and pub, warm lighting dim for the moment given that it was well before opening time. The rest of the room was fairly bare, save for a couch and chair set that looked like it was placed where it was for the owner rather than the customers.

"Alright then. They must've gone out to grab some groceries. Looks like I'm on my own for this show and tell time." Dean huffed, shifting in his large jacket as he turned back to the dark haired male. "Come on, I guess I'll show you where the rooms are."

Castiel nodded mutely and followed the taller male toward the other side of the room, where Dean fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked another door, opening it and moving into the hallway beyond.

"Alright. This is the guys side of the hall, that's the ladies." The blond counted off briskly, nodding to the respective sides as he walked down the hall, Castiel close on his heels. "I'd tell you to avoid them, but they can take care of themselves so I won't. There's Charlie, Jo, Bela, Meg, and Ellen who live back here, even though Ellen owns this place."

"Whose room is that?" Castiel wondered as they passed another door that was painted a strange moss green.

"Huh? Oh- that used to be Anna's room. Got married." Dean shrugged. "Gabe refuses to let anyone have it."

"I see."

Anna? As in his little _sister_ Anna? The same Anna who was now living in Europe with her husband? How much was he really missing in his family?

Dean began whistling again as the pair made their way to the end of the hall, where a single door rested in the wall. Cheerily, he fished out yet another key from his pocket before unlocking it and moving into the large space, taking off his jacket as he did so and tossing it on the coat hanger that was conveniently placed there.

"And this is home sweet home for Sammy and I." the blond finally said. "It's the largest room, and if you ever need anything either Sammy or myself can be found here or over at the lounge."

Castiel wasn't entirely sure if Dean was attempting to flirt with him or just brag, but at this point he was hoping for the latter.

"Alright." He nodded, glancing around at the main living space that they were standing in.

It was a large room, that much was clear- an open floor plan for the most part, with the kitchen space off to the left with what appeared to be all new appliances and a large bar-like counter that separated it from the rest of the room. There were a couple of leather couches with a matching chair in front of the windows, and there were three other doorways that most likely led into the bedrooms and bathroom.

"Sooooo…you're Cas. Gabe's been talking a lot about you lately." Dean drawled, going to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of beer.

"Has he." The dark haired male asked quietly, not moving from his place just inside the door.

"Mhm." Dean nodded, pulling off the cap and taking a long drink. "He's been pretty excited about seeing you. From what I understand of his gibberish, you guys don't talk much?"

"You could say that." Castiel replied quietly, barely suppressing the flinch that came with that particular set of memories. Screams, loud crashing from outside his room, then a heavy thud as something heavy hit the floor. It had been years ago, but since that violent fight with their father, Gabriel had been seen maybe twice, three times if he counted that one run in at the café a couple years back. "We aren't particularly close."

"Uh huh. I kinda got that." The blond studied him, startlingly green eyes narrowed ever so slightly around the edges. Perhaps there was more to this guy than first appeared. From what Dean understood, Gabriel had cut ties with his father some years ago, and had barely seen his youngest brother since. Something about their father wanting to keep him close and under his thumb so that another rebellion was clearly not going to happen again. But he wasn't all that interested in interrogating the male in front of him- not when he was clearly uncomfortable with the entire situation. There would be time to get to know Castiel over the next however long that he would be working at Crossroads.

"So, we've got another half hour before we need to be back at the club. You want a beer or something? Need me to show you your room?" the blond offered. "It's back down the hall, four doors down."

"If it's not too much trouble." Castiel replied in his soft voice. Dean silently hoped that this wasn't the way he always spoke. It would be one hell of a job to actually get him to speak louder, otherwise, and that would be a challenge in itself, by the looks of things.

"Nah. I don't usually do anything during my break, anyway." Dean said, waving his free hand to emphasize his point. "Come on, I'll grab the key from behind the counter and get you settled in."

**-:-**

"No way! Is that really our dearest little brother?" Balthazar asked in shock as soon as he walked into the backstage change room that night. "Cas! It's been so long! How're you doing?"

Dean barely glanced up, but next to him, he knew that Castiel was most likely shrinking back. Mostly due to the fact that Gabriel was on his other side and taunting him mercilessly as the strawberry blond changed into a pair of very loose brown pants that resembled a skirt more than anything and several wood carved bangles.

"Gabriel, why didn't you tell us that Cas was the one you'd managed to wrangle into joining the club?" the older persisted a moment later, dropping his gym bag and planting his hands on his hips.

Balthazar was one of the two eldest brothers in the family, and one of the first to have escaped their father's less than forgiving grip. His blond hair was cropped short and naturally stuck up in the front, while a pair of matching green eyes sparked with his ever so charming personality. Laugh lines creased around the edges of his eyes and lips, and there was a decent amount of stubble lining his jaw and upper lip.

"Hello, Balthazar." Cas greeted quietly.

"Aw, is that any way to greet your brother?" the elder male snorted, moving forward smoothly and wrapping Castiel into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you again."

Dean cleared his throat, feeling as though he were intruding on something that he shouldn't be, and then stood upright, lifting a brow.

"Balt, I suggest you get changed. Crowley wants to see us onstage in ten to do last minute lighting changes." He said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "And Cas, I suggest you go and find somewhere to sit and watch the show before Bela shows up. That bitch'll try and stab you in the back in two seconds.

"Hey!" Gabriel protested, shooting up like a gopher.

"Don't even." Balthazar broke in. "Dean's right and we all know it."

The strawberry blond opened his mouth, as if to say something else, before closing it and turning his back on the men, obviously sulking. Balthazar shook his head and muttered something under his breath before turning his attention back to his gym bag and unzipping it, grabbing some kind of fabric and laying it on one of the benches before beginning to strip off his shirt.

"Honestly, everyone around here is completely insane." Dean muttered to Castiel, finishing wrapping his feet with bandages before straightening and flexing his toes. "Come on. I'll take you out to the bar. Sam'll keep you company if it's not too busy."

"Alright." The dark haired male agreed. At this point, he'd take the company, even if said male wasn't even going to be talking to him face to face. As long as he was in the same proximity as the male, he'd be fine.

And had he mentioned that he was really, _really_ regretting all of this?


	3. Chapter 3

As it turned out, it was a 'quiet' night at Crossroads Lounge. Despite that fact, Castiel was finding it difficult to keep his thoughts on one track as the loud base from the musical numbers blared over the surround sound speakers, and with the giggling men _and_ women on either side of him, he knew that he was going to have a migraine by the end of the night. As it was, the promise of Sam's company _did_ help him stay sane. Especially when a middle aged woman sauntered up to the bar and almost immediately began flirting with him.

"Hey there, handsome." She purred, eying him up as though he were a piece of meat underneath her bright red pumps. Her cleavage was far too obvious with the slinky black number she was wearing, and coupling that with her perfume, Cas found himself feeling quite nauseous as he reclined as far away from the woman as he could without falling off of his stool. His eyes roamed the long bar, and unfortunately for him, Sam was otherwise occupied with a petite blond who appeared to be in a deep conversation with him.

"What's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?" the woman continued, leaning forward, her brunette hair falling around her shoulders. Blue eyes continued to all but violate his personal space as she looked him over, and Cas found that he honestly could not find himself able to speak up in his own defense.

"Uh…" he stalled, trying to think of something, anything, really, that would get him out of this situation and back in a certain level of comfort.

"Oh, don't be shy." The woman pouted. "I don't bite…not hard, anyways."

"Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave him alone." An all too familiar voice said from Cas' right, and a moment later, the brunette was pushed back into her stool. "I think it's fairly apparent that he's not interested."

"Oh? And why do you say that?" the brunette asked, turning her attention to Cas' savior- Sam. "And how would you know?"

"Because he's my boyfriend." Sam replied sharply, seamlessly leaning across the counter and pulling Cas in for a quick kiss full on the lips before pulling back and looking the brunette defiantly in the eye. Cas fought to keep his features neutral as her eyes flicked back to him, although he could feel his cheeks burning and knew that he probably resembled a cherry at this point.

"Well, you can't blame a woman for trying." The brunette sighed, sliding off of her seat and adjusting her dress before sauntering off, no doubt in search of her next target. He watched her go, not even noticing that Sam was trying to get his attention until his hand fell on his shoulder.

"Hey. Cas. Castiel." The brunette was saying, his face worried. "You alright?"

Cas blinked.

"Look, sorry about that. I wouldn't have done it if she hadn't been so persistent, and I shouldn't have done it anyway. Are you alright?" Sam asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Cas absently noted that the brunette's hair was tied back in a low tail, and he was currently wearing a white tie, but before he could say anything further, the tall male had poured him a drink of some kind and planted it down in front of him.

"You look a little pale. Do you need me to take you to your room?"

Cas shook his head mutely.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. He had a lot on his mind now, thanks to that, but at the moment, all he wanted was to sit right where he was and absorb what exactly had just happened.

Well, that was fairly obvious.

He'd just been kissed.

On the lips.

By someone he barely knew.

His day was just getting better and better, wasn't it?

**-:-**

Almost immediately after the show, Gabriel and Dean went over to the bar to grab some of the cleaning supplies to begin wiping down tables and chairs, only to find a slightly drunk Castiel chuckling with Sam about something that had to do with a lawnmower. As to what exactly the lawnmower had done, neither male was certain, but under normal circumstances they doubted that the pair would find it that amusing.

"Cas?"

"Gabriel." The dark haired male greeted brightly, whirling around in his seat and almost falling over. Luckily, however, Sam had been leaning fairly heavily on the bar, and was able to snag the other male's arm and haul him upright in his chair again with an amused laugh that sounded ever so breathless.

"Are you drunk?" the strawberry blond asked carefully, unsure of what to think about this. He'd never really seen his brother after he'd gotten old enough to get out of that damned house, so he didn't really know what to expect from his inebriated younger brother.

"Maybeeee…" Cas drawled, a little smirk crossing his features as he swung back around in his chair again, looking, for lack of a better word, like an excited two year old.

"Hey, Gabe, I'm headed ou- wow. Is Cas drunk?" Balthazar asked, backtracking from where he'd just been about to leave. "Who knew he had it in him?"

"Ha ha. Very funny." Cas rolled his eyes. "I _am_ sitting right here, you know. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not deaf, just drunk. Or something."

"He's drunk." Gabe deadpanned back to Balthazar, who laughed loudly as he continued on his original path to leave the building.

"See you all tomorrow~!" he called just before the door closed.

Which left two sober males and two drunk males in the building. The majority of which who still had to clean up the floor and tables and then get back over to the Roadhouse.

At this point, it was beginning to look like an impossible task, but luckily, Gabriel had infinite patience when it came with dealing with alcohol and the aftermath of alcohol.

"Sam, you sober enough to clean up, or do I need to help you?" he asked briskly, beginning to move over to the counter.

"I'm good." Sam replied with a lazy salute. "I can still see only one of you, so I'll assume that means I'm cleared for duty."

"Yes it does. You know what to do." Gabe replied fondly. "Cas, you're obviously unable to do much without falling off your chair. You're cut off, and you need to sit there where you can't hurt yourself too badly. Dean, start cleaning the tables. I'll grab the mop from the back."

The small group broke up and began to do what they were told, Cas surprisingly included. And perhaps it was just because there was some alcohol involved, but the clean-up seemed to be done quicker than usual. Without any hesitation, Gabe sent Sam and Dean off to the Roadhouse and made sure that they didn't kill themselves as they crossed the back alley to get to the parking lot and through the front door, and then he turned back to his little brother.

"Come on, you." He muttered, moving over to the dark haired male and slinging an arm around his neck, "Time to get you to a toilet so you can hurl up whatever you were drinking."

"I'm not going to puke." Cas denied vaguely, staring up at the ceiling as Gabe began leading him across the floor towards the back exit. "Where're we going?"

"We," Gabe muttered as they got to the back alley, "Are going downstairs to my place. I don't think I trust you enough to be drunk under Ellen's roof just yet. She'll probably kill you for ruining her rug."

"I'm _not_," Cas said defiantly, "going to puke."

"Uh huh. You make it ten minutes and I'll believe you."

"Fine."

Snorting, the blond led Cas down two stairs to another door set into the wall, and within moments, he'd unlocked the door and was leading Cas down several more before a light flicked on, illuminating the room.

All things considered, it was fairly simple. It was all open, save for four large support beams that ran down the middle of the space, but comfortable. In the far back corner, the concrete walls that joined the corner were covered in a dark red fabric, and the bed itself looked more like a giant mattress or several that resembled more of a nest than anything, what with the hundred or so pillows and several blankets that lined it. Next to the bed, there was a narrow hallway that probably led back to the bathroom, and on the other side of the gap was the other corner, which had been turned into a miniature library. There was a kitchen lining the rest of the wall next to the reading nook, and it stretched all the way down to the entrance of the space. On the other side was a long living space, complete with several large, black leather couches and a widescreen television.

Cas didn't really comprehend any of this, though, as Gabe led him down the space and plopped him down on a simple wooden chair at the small kitchen table before going over to the sink and grabbing a glass of water for his brother.

"So, you enjoying being drunk?"

"It could be better." Cas replied, putting his forehead onto the cool tabletop.

"Why's that?" Gabe asked, sitting across from the dark haired male and setting the water down gently by his hand.

"Sam kissed me."

"What?"

Instantly, there was red colouring his vision, and he had to clench his fists to contain himself.

"Some older woman was flirting with me, and he helped get rid of her by saying he was my boyfriend. Then he kissed me."

Oh. Oooohhhh. Now it made sense.

"Let me guess. That was your first gay kiss." He teased lightly.

"Mhm." Cas moaned pathetically, not lifting his head.

"Little brother, there's a lot you don't know about the world you've stepped into." Gabe sighed, shaking his head. "Most of the people who work for me also happen to be fluid in their sexuality at the very least. Trust me, nothing will happen thanks to it. Sam was just doing what he thought he had to. Mind, he doesn't usually do that unless there's a good reason, so I'm going to assume that I'll be updated tomorrow on what happened and who it was that was flirting with you."

The blond smirked at the groan that came from Cas.

"Nauseous yet?" he asked with mock sincerity.

"I hate you." Cas growled, just as he bolted upright and leapt off the stool.

"At the end of the hall~!" Gabe sang as his little brother took off. Moments later, the sound of retching came to his ears, and the blond hummed a little tune as he got up to go check on him.

"I'm going to kill you." Cas groaned.

"Wait until tomorrow before you try that." He advised.

"I'll be dead tomorrow."

"Well, it's a good thing you lived today then."

"You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to."


	4. Chapter 4

"Cas? Cas. Caaaaassssss…. Castiellaaaaaa… Time to get up. Twenty minutes until practice."

Cas groaned in reply, instinctively batting whoever the hell was prodding his leg with a bare foot before wincing at the pain that the motion brought.

"Yeah, yeah, sleeping beauty. Save it for Crowley- he'll appreciate your loving touch more than I will." He heard Gabriel reply, almost able to hear the eye-roll in his tone.

Cas would have said something, but as he pried open his eyes, all he could do was blink as he was granted the sight of his brother stripping off a pair of low hanging pajama pants before climbing into the shower, which had somehow managed to turn itself on without his knowing. And then flinched as the light seemingly stabbed into his eyes, nearly causing him to retch into the toilet- which his cheek was pressed against, now that he thought about it.

"What time is it." He mumbled, attempting to sit up and wincing as the skin of his cheek peeled away from the toilet seat.

"Four thirty~!" Gabriel chirped back from the shower.

"In the morning?"

"Sure thing, little brother! It's training day today, and tomorrow we'll see if Dean can get you learning the new routine!"

He groaned, twisting his head away from the direction of the shower. "You're too cheerful in the morning." He muttered darkly.

"And I don't care!" Gabriel sang back. "There's clothing on my bed you can use until you make it back to your room. Go get changed."

"I don't wanna." He grumbled, attempting to shift and get comfortable but only managing to make the pain in his skull intensify.

"Castiel, you freaking giraffe. Get your ass out of the bathroom and get dressed before I get out of this lovely shower and kick your ass into the middle of next week." Gabriel cooed before throwing a bar of soap at his brother's head. "Now move."

"Fine."

"Good boy. Now, what kind of pie do you like?"

**-:-**

"Morning boys! Hope you're feeling up to a good long day of dancing and drinking!" Gabriel called as he and Castiel entered the lounge. "Dean, I brought your favorite! Apple!"

"I really hope you're talking about pie and not just apples." The blond said as he suddenly materialized next to the strawberry-blond, immediately assisting in lightening the load of pies that he'd had balanced in his hands. "And luckily for you, you are. Oh mighty lord, how can I ever repay you."

"Teach my hungover brother how to dance, if you don't mind." Gabe replied cheerily, grabbing back another pie from the top of the pile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go deliver this pie to Samuel."

The male all but flounced off, his pair of pinstripe slacks and waistcoat sticking out like a sore thumb and only further proving to everyone present that Gabriel was about as straight as a rainbow pretzel.

"Hungover, huh? How's that going for you?" Dean quirked a brow at Castiel. The dark haired male groaned as a reply.

"I feel like someone detonated a grenade in my skull. It is not overly pleasant." He replied, keeping as much inflection out of his tone.

"Oh, poor you. Looks like you've found yourself a pet, Winchester." A cool British voice mocked from behind them. Cas turned only slightly to find himself looking at an attractive brunette woman, her hands tucked into the pockets of her slimming rain-jacket. "Doesn't look like much- maybe you'll be able to turn him into something of an asset."

"Go fuck yourself, Bela." Dean replied immediately, cocking a hip in a way that no straight person should ever manage to pull off that well.

"Why would I do that when I have others to do it for me?" she hummed back blandly, though her eyes sparked with an unspoken challenge.

"Ah, Bela. So nice to see you looking so cheerful in the morning." Crowley interrupted, also managing to appear out of nowhere and causing Castiel to wonder if it was his hangover that was making people seem like they were magical. The older British man leveled a disarming smirk in the woman's direction as he moved past her, and he greeted Dean with a nod before taking a closer look at Cas.

"Doesn't look like much yet. But he's slim enough and has the right amount of grace, I'm sure. You'll do well with him, Dean."

"Thanks." The blond replied. "Now, before I get waylaid again, I need to go hunt down Balthazar and make sure he has that CD he's been promising me for the last three weeks done and ready for practice. If I'm going to be teaching new guy here anything, he's going to have to do some interpretive dance to show me what he can do."

Oh holy hell of the nine fucking worlds. Cas inwardly felt something shrivel and die at those words, and he felt his shoulders hunch ever so slightly as he did so. However, a sharp jab to his spine had him straightening again, a high pitched whine of surprise escaping him before he could catch himself. Turning, he was met with the unimpressed stare of Crowley.

"Don't even think about slouching. You're a dancer now, boy." The man snorted.

"As if." Bela spoke up again.

"Don't you have something better to do, Bela? Like perhaps actually warming up? If I recall correctly, your rehearsal begins in….ten minutes?" Crowley inquired, faking innocence as he checked his wrist. "I believe Michael's already here as well. I'm sure he'll get you set up in time for my arrival."

The brunette woman's eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing as she pushed through the trio, head held high and bag slung over her shoulder.

"God, I can't stand her." Dean muttered as soon as she was out of earshot.

"You're not the only one." Crowley agreed. "Repulsive."

"At least she hasn't tried complaining to Gabe yet. He'll rip her a new one."

"Who's going to do what to who?"

"Ah, Balthazar. Good morning." Crowley and Dean greeted the blond. "We were just talking about Bela getting ripped a new one if she complains to Gabe."

"Ah. I see. Morning, little brother. How's the head?" the other male inquired smoothly, somehow slipping around the pair of males and sliding an arm around Castiel's shoulders. "I didn't know you could drink. You should have told me sooner."

"It was a mistake and it will not be happening again." Cas replied quietly, shrugging off his brother's arm and moving so that he was just out of reach. Something that didn't go unnoticed by either of the other dancers- but they weren't about to comment on it. "I think we should go and warm up."

"Now there's an idea!" Balthazar cheered. "Come on now, boys, we don't want to miss mocking dear ol' Bela on the stage now, do we?"

"I think you need a better hobby."

"I think you need a better life, if all you can talk about is my hobbies, Dean dearest."

**-:-**

"I really don't want to do this." Cas muttered to Gabriel as he waited on the side of the stage for a redhead by the name of Charlie to finish her time on rehearsal. "You know I don't dance."

"You're a fantastic dancer, Cas. All of us know it. You just have to prove to them that you can dance. That's all." Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I haven't danced since we were children."

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing that we're all family here, isn't it?" the strawberry blond replied cheerily before sobering. "I know it's hard, Cas, but I know you can do this. I also may or may not have raided your CD collection to get your last disk. Which I know you hate me for already but you really need to do interpretive and this is the only song you'll dance to."

"You didn't."

"I did. And you'll get over it because I'm your favorite big brother."

"I'm not going to say anything."

"You mean I'm not?"

Cas shot his brother a deadpan stare.

"No. You are not. You should know this by now."

"Then who is!?"

"That is something I will never tell you."

"_IT WAS LUCIFER, WASN'T IT?"_

Balthazar poked his head around the corner of the stage, raising a brow at the dramatically distraught strawberry blond and his dark haired younger siblings.

"Are you two done yet? Because Charlie finished like, two minutes ago and I think Michael might have a heart attack if he doesn't get to see Cas dance."

"Yep. Here. Take him. I'm going to go put this into the speaker and then make sure this idiot doesn't make a break for it." Gabe brightened, shoving Cas into Balthazar's surprised form before slipping into the shadows of the backstage and disappearing.

"I hate him."

"No you don't. I know you try, but it's physically impossible. Trust me. I've been alive longer than you." Balthazar said, patting the dark haired man's shoulder and pushing him onto the stage. "But nice try."

Castiel sighed, knowing that now he was on the stage there was no physical way he could escape without performing something first. The fact that there were three of his brothers in the same general vicinity was not boding well for him, either.

He was glad he was wearing a loose pair of pants- thankfully, Gabriel seemed to be able to know what kind of style of clothing he preferred to wear- and he moved to take off his shoes.

"What are you doing?"

He shot a glare at Dean, who raised a brow in return.

"Taking off my shoes." He replied blankly, continuing to do so and tossing them off to one side so they wouldn't get in the way. Then went the socks, which were thankfully easy to ball up and aim towards the shoes.

"He prefers bare feet." Balthazar supplied helpfully, stealing a bite of the pie that had materialized itself on Dean's lap before ducking the cuff that would have landed on his ear.

Cas rolled his eyes, looking up towards the sound room that was visible from the stage, giving Gabriel a dark glare that promised him much pain for making him do this first thing in the morning while he was hungover. Said male grinned and waved back before pressing the play button.

Immediately, the soft sounds of guitar filled the room, and the song began.

"_Take my hand_

_I'll teach you to dance_

_I'll spin you around_

_Won't let you fall down"_

He relaxed, feeling his body settle into the soothing rhythm and begin moving across the stage. Leap, land softly, balancing on one leg for only a moment before seamlessly transitioning from one form to another.

Dean's fork slowly moved away from his mouth as the supposedly "new" dancer flowed across the stage like mercury, his features in something of a serene expression. His eyes took in every detail- his posture was perfect, his hands held loosely and his feet placed in a just-so way that spoke volumes to Castiel's skill level.

He slowly looked over to Crowley, who noticed him after several moments and turned to give him a questioning smirk before gesturing to the other side of the blond. Glancing over, Dean was damn near surprised to see that both Balthazar and Michael were nodding their heads to the beat as they watched their younger brother, Michael even going so far as to lean forward ever so slightly as Castiel made another impossibly high leap and landed it with ease.

Finally, the song died down, the lighting doing so as well, no thanks to Gabriel, and Castiel was left standing off to one side of the stage, already shrinking in on himself as he realized that he'd been dancing a little too personally.

He felt his cheeks flush as the music finally stopped entirely, and Cas hesitantly started making his way back to his shoes and socks when Crowley stopped him with a short cough.

"Castiel, how long have you been dancing?" the man asked in his gruff voice.

"I haven't danced in seven years. Before that, I danced for two with a class." He replied.

"And that's it?"

"Yes."

Crowley turned around in his seat and looked up at Gabriel, his brows lifting until Cas was slightly concerned about his facial features getting stuck like that.

"_HE'S BEEN ABLE TO DANCE LIKE THIS SINCE BIRTH AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT HIM UNTIL NOW!?"_

"_IT'S NOT OUR FAULT! HE'S THE BABY! HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SHELTERED FROM THE WORLD! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, CROWLEY!" _

The pair of supposedly mature men deteriorated into a bellowing match from across the room, and as they did so Balthazar and Michael hopped up onto the stage, patting their brother on the back.

"Nice job, Cas." Michael praised. "Your leaps were perfect."

"I could say something, but people might wonder if we're secretly a harem." Balthazar shrugged. "So I won't."

"Only you." Michael deadpanned.

"No, I'm pretty sure Lucifer does it too."

"Could it be because he's your twin, you idiot?"

"Noooooo. That couldn't be it at allllll."

"My family is insane." Cas muttered, pulling on his shoes.

"But you love us so much!"

"Dream on."


	5. Chapter 5

**A quick note- I am so, so sorry I haven't updated for Crossroads in forever. I've been caught up in working on Lisemwalo Lipo for the last few months, but now that it's complete I'm turning my attention back to the works that have been sadly neglected for the better half of a year. So without further ado, Crossroads. **

**-:-**

"Seriously though. You never told us that he could already dance, Gabe." Dean commented as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "And not just that, but dance _well_."

"One, it never came up, and two, Cas hasn't danced in years." The strawberry blond shook his head. "Not that I can blame him. He had his reasons for quitting."

"Care to share with the class?"

"No." the male's face was unusually somber. "It's not my place to start talking about my brother behind his back. Despite all of the faults all of the siblings in my family have, we do care about each other. Which is why Cas even came here. Although that was more on him than it was on me."

"He's a goddamn natural, and you only decide that he needs to come to Crossroads now?" Dean switched topics easily, still mildly irritated at his friend, co-worker and boss. "Besides that, I just want to know if he's ever going to say anything longer than five word sentences. Or is that something you can't tell me about too?"

"A lot happened when we were kids, Dean." Gabriel said quietly. "Cas and Anna are the youngest- us older brothers tried to shield them as much as possible."

Dean stayed silent. He and Gabriel had been considered close friends for the last ten years or so, and over that time, the pair of them had bantered, bickered, bonded, and had slowly become something like brothers. As well as that, they'd both learned things about the others pasts- sometimes it had ended in a drinking binge, other times they'd shrugged it off and pretended that they hadn't heard a word of what the other was saying.

Some of what both had learned and could tell just by looking at one another was the abuse that they had suffered at the hands of their fathers. Considering their positions as the elder brothers, it really only served to solidify their friendship. And despite how they may act around others, when it was just the two of them it was a much more relaxing experience.

"Alright. Fine. I won't push it. But next time, make sure you tell me all the details. Like if I actually need to train him or if you're just wanting him to socialize with other human beings. Although you probably could have stuck him with Sam if you really wanted him to get some kind of semblance of normalcy." The blond finally rolled his eyes, shrugging. "Now, why don't you tell me more about this bet that you and Castiel made."

**-:-**

"So, what _have_ you been up to for the last few years, little brother?" Balthazar inquired, lounging on one of the rather comfortable sofas that littered the club. "The last I saw of you was when I left for school in England."

"And I think the last time _I_ saw you was when you graduated." Michael added, looking thoughtful.

Cas felt a small spark of irritation at his brother's words. He knew that they had bolted from their father and the house at the first chance that they could get- and now they were asking him what he'd been up to?

"I think you are well aware." The dark haired male replied shortly. "After all, you were the ones who got away."

Balthazar's eyes narrowed, while Michael's features shifted into shame.

"I tried to get you to come with me, Castiel." Balthazar said softly. "But you couldn't. You were still too young, unable to go anywhere without a passport and our father's permission. And yet Anna, our youngest sibling, was able to marry and get out of that damned house before you apparently did."

"Balthazar…" Michael warned, turning to his older brother. Balthazar shook his head once at the other dark haired male, and with an expression of wary defence, Michael leaned back against the couch.

"No. He needs to hear this. Because despite everything that happened, despite all of the circumstances that would have allowed him to escape, he still believed in a small part of himself that our father could be _saved_." Balthazar sneered. "And now look at you."

"You can go to Hell, Balthazar." Cas returned lowly, eyes flashing. "You were in Europe- you don't know _anything_ of what happened while you were gone. Of what he did to me because of your abandonment. All of this is because _you left me behind."_

Without saying another word, he stood, spine rigid, and walked off, leaving behind a pair of silent brothers in his wake.

"You shouldn't have pushed him, Balt." Michael sighed, shaking his head. "You know full well what it meant to leave him and Anna behind. Anna was so desperate that she almost killed herself every other week if it hadn't been for him, and he kept protecting her even after everyone else left him. And yet you think that it was because of our father that he stayed. Do you even know what it was like, seeing him graduate? I barely even _recognized_ him. Something changed in him, Balt, and I don't know if we'll ever be able to see that part of him again."

"He sees too much good in people." Balthazar muttered in return. "Too much compassion for those around him. While it might not have been the primary thought on his mind, Castiel _did_ stay behind for our father, because he truly does care for him somewhere deep within himself."

"You and I both know that because of Castiel, Anna is still alive. She may not remember it, but we do." Michael pointed out. "What would have happened if she had died like she could have? Cas would've been dead in a week."

"_MICHAEL! WHERE THE RUDDY HELL ARE YOU!"_

"And that would be my cue to run as far away as I can, as fast as I can before Crowley catches me and throws me onstage by my genitals. If you need me, I'll be hiding in the remote villages of Africa." Michael stated cheerily, mood uplifting as though nothing had happened and pushing himself off the couch. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Sure." Balthazar rolled his eyes, reclining further on the couch, their disagreement forgotten. In his thoughts, however, the male was beginning to dredge of memories that were better left as just that, eyes half lidded as he begun to doze. He wasn't needed until later, closer to the time that the club would begin to open. For now, however, he would have to do with napping and tuning out the sound of Michael's pained shrieks as Crowley caught up to him.

Idiot.

One did not simply run from Crowley.

One had to hide, and hide well.

**-:-**

Their second night with Castiel in their ranks passed… not well, exactly- he didn't really speak with anyone and looked as though he had something else on his mind, but Crowley still managed to persuade the dark haired male to get on the stage and run through several stretches and exercises to make sure that he actually did know what he was doing. Of course, he then proceeded to demand that the man dance again- prompting several snickers from the small audience that was pretending to be working while trying to also watch the new dancer.

Castiel, however reluctantly, did as Crowley asked. With someone up in the sound room, the same music from the prior performance played, and the dark haired male moved as gracefully across the stage as if he were smoke. Several sighs from behind Crowley alerted him that there were people watching, however, and like a fiery demon from hell he unleashed a verbal lashing that no one was about to forget anytime soon before turning back to Castiel as the culprits scattered.

"Your footing is nearly flawless and your form is very good, but you should attempt to loosen yourself up. Yes, you do already use it in your dancing, but you lack an emotional connection to your audience. They are the ones who must feel what you are trying to convey to them. If there is no emotion, how will they do so?"

Castiel simply looked back at the British man, a strangely serene look in his eye as he did so.

"They won't." he replied after several long moments. With that, the slim man stepped off stage, snagging his shoes along the way and disappearing into the back, leaving behind a shocked Crowley. No one just walked away from him when he was in the middle of assessing them. _No one_. Not even Bela, the stupid idiot she was, walked away from him. They feared him too much. But this one, this new dancer, did the exact opposite.

Partially against his will, his lips quirked up into a smirk. He was liking this Castiel more and more already.


End file.
